Hacker News Reader

Comment by kelnos | Hacker News Reader

In a way, I kinda don't get the idea of an expansion card for ethernet, rather than just a dongle. Specifically, as in this case, where it sticks out from the side of the chassis.

If I'm on the go, I'll have to take it out of the chassis while it's in my bag so I don't damage it. In that case, it's easier to have a regular USB-C card in that port, and toss a dongle in my bag instead of the expansion card.

If I'm not on the go, I'm at a desk, and I'd still rather plug in a dongle than regularly swap an expansion card.

I'm not saying you'd never want the expansion card, but it feels pretty niche.

View on HN

A lot of people use their laptop as a desktop replacement and kinda leave it in one spot or only move it between two spots (home desk/office desk) rather than as an actually portable take anywhere use anywhere situation

In that case I'd rather just have one of those big usb hubs that has every port on it. Rather than an adapter designed that it only works on one laptop. Sure in theory you could plug them in to any but the design of it is such that you'd snap the connector if you plugged it in to a normal port.

While a regular usb-c ethernet adapter has a flexible cable between the laptop and the bulky rigid part.

Thunderbolt hubs are rather amazing now; in the past they'd either get super hot and have reliability issues, or had severe bandwidth limitations (especially if using larger displays).

The current crop has been great for my needs — a couple models have 10G Ethernet built in (CalDigit is the one I'm using now), and most now have more than one Thunderbolt port that allows a high speed storage device to be used as well (in addition to a 5K or 4K display or two!).

My TB5 dock from OWC on a M4 Pro MacBook can run dual 4k 240hz displays, 2.5gb ethernet, and several peripherals no problem. It also provides 100W of power. All over a single cable. So good these days

I may have the same one and I love it so much. Plug one USB C-looking cable into my laptop, and two 32” monitors and a host of accessories light up as it starts charging. It’s the greatest docking station ever.

In that case why wouldn't you use a hub/docking station type thing? And again, that configuration still lends itself just fine to a dongle.

Then dock it - these things have USB4 / TB, may as well get a TS5 and cover all your bases in one wire.

I'd also add that at a fixed location/desk, having a dock with ethernet is also very normal.

Anyway it is probably just there to demonstrate the possibilities to consumers. What if a lower profile standard for networking gets popularized?

they had very flat (on one side) Ethernet pigtails in the PCMCIA days.

Those sucked so hard, were extremely finicky to plug in, and I was in constant terror of breaking it. Even the popout jack things were horrific in that respect.

I'm 1000% for wired connections where possible, but for laptops too thin to have one built inside of the frame the best choice is a proper docking station, ideally with a cable that isn't impossible to user replace.

Oh god, bringing back memories I don't want. They were always so fragile.

ix (IEC 61076-3-124)

Isn’t that kind of most things Framework? Sure, a replaceable color bezel is fun, but pretty niche.

I fell out of love with frameworks after buying one for myself and a few employees.

The economics/upgrade math just does not make sense.

Framework feels like a case of giving HN users what they asked for, but not what they actually needed.

Like the constant cries for an iPhone Mini, which subsequently sold terribly, because people like good battery life, a generous screen size, and feature-rich cameras. Apple didn’t learn because they went on to do the Air, but whatever.

The minis, despite being sold at the same time as SEs and having to share demand, did fine. And if you want to improve that situation the obvious answer is to pick one or the other, not to cancel both. If you want even better stats, much more than needed, wait 2-3 years between releases.

My best guess for Apple's actions is that despite there being a very real demand for a smaller phone, they don't think the discomfort is bad enough for people to switch to Android, so they don't even try. A small phone makes a lot of profit, but ignoring the demand also makes a lot of profit.

The Air was a real flop.

I agree, every product should only be as large as possible, have top of the line specs, and a price to match. Literally nobody exists in different market segments. There should only be one product in each category. You will purchase your Phone(tm) and be happy.

I don't get it either.

If it had a hinged or expanding[0] ethernet port so it could sit flush with the chassis when not in use it would make a lot more sense.

[0] It's easier to show what I mean https://www.reddit.com/r/TechnologyPorn/comments/hvlxep/orig...

There’s nothing to “get”. The circuit doesn’t fit inside the slot for expansion cards. You could plug in a dongle instead, but then you’d have a big hole in your laptop with a cable sticking out. Or you could just get a wider laptop bag. They make them in multiple sizes, you know.

> you’d have a big hole in your laptop with a cable sticking out

No, you wouldn't. You'd have one of these instead: https://frame.work/products/usb-c-expansion-card?v=FRACCQ000... (or the one matching a color you prefer and your particular model)

Now you’ve got two things plugged into your laptop, instead of one that sticks out by an inch. :)

Technically all framework 13 laptops always have four things plugged into it because the ports are modular such that the user can choose which ports they want.

Unless you're crazy and leave the expansion ports unpopulated.

I know, it was just a joke :)

Er, no, then you'd use the regular USB-C expansion card and plug the dongle into that, and then the port becomes generally useful.

A wider bag doesn't solve it. The part that sticks out could still easily snag on something. I wouldn't want to take that risk, and I doubt many people would.

I feel like you're arguing just to argue...

Not arguing, just saying that sometimes things come with compromises. It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that some expansion cards don't fit in the expansion slot. There’s always going to be _something_ that needs a bit more space.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com